Bring You Back
by MJAmore
Summary: Three years, two months, and six days. Lizzington.
1. While You Were Away

**I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.**

Chapter 1: While You Were Away

 _Three years, two months, and six days._

Not that he'd been keeping track. Though he assumed he wasn't alone. The Post Office continued to function despite the drastic change in agents and purpose. The black site no longer catered to the whims of an egotistical, eccentric, criminal mastermind. It was no longer the home to a team of agents determined to dismantle the dark corners of crime that alluded the attention of even the most zealous of intelligence agencies. Everything had stopped as if it had never begun and something else took its place.

 _Three years, two months, and six days._

He wasn't sure when the signs began to show but he knew that each of them should have been more aware then they ultimately were. A few glances here, an hour spent trying to determine just where their asset and his handler had disappeared to, heated arguments behind Agent Cooper's closed office door. Oh, the signs had definitely been there but what had followed could not have been predicted. Every day that passed without Raymond Reddington at the helm of the Post Office was a testament of what they'd missed.

 _Three years, two months, and six days._

It'd been a case that they'd stumbled upon themselves or tripped over, if you will. Reddington had withdrawn to see to some personal matter, leaving Agent Keen and himself to investigate a human trafficking ring after a truck had been found full of young girls in the D.C. area. Days passed without any significant leads and they were beginning to believe that they weren't likely to find any. Answers to their questions only led to more questions and Agent Keen was unable to raise Reddington on the phone. Even her attempt at reaching out to Dembe and Mr. Kaplan proved to be useless. The concierge of crime and his team were off the grid and not likely to resurface until he was ready. That was when the call came.

 _Three years, two months, and six days._

A tip came in from one of his contacts that another shipment was due to arrive off the coast of northern Maine and the name 'James Campos' would be on any shipping information. The only credible information they'd received in days. Aram began searching for any ties to the name 'James Campos' and located two potential locations. The first being in Jonesport Harbor and the other in Winter Harbor. He and Keen wasted no time. They were on a plane and in Maine within hours of receiving the tip. Keen stayed close to the hotel on the chance their contact came through with more information, leaving him to look into the first location alone. After talking to a dozen or more people in Jonesport, he was able to rule it out as the potential location for the shipment.

Returning to the hotel, he expected to find Agent Keen in her room but was surprised to find it empty. Pulling his phone free from the pocket inside his jacket, he dialed and she answered almost immediately.

"Ressler?"

"Where are you?" He could hear the sound of a radio playing softly in the background.

"I'm heading to Winter Harbor. We've only got a day or so to figure out where they plan on bringing in these girls. After that, they're as good as gone." He picked up on some strain in her voice that he hadn't noticed before.

"What's wrong, Keen?"

"I'm fine. Not sure if whatever that was we had for breakfast agreed with me." He chuckled as recalled the less then appetizing breakfast casserole the hotel lobby had offered. He'd elected to not eat but Keen seemed to be more trusting then he had been.

"Look, just get back soon. Cooper would have my ass if he knew you were on your own."

"What Cooper doesn't know.." She laughed before ending the call. The last time he'd ever spoken to her.

 _Three years, two months, and six days since Elizabeth Keen had disappeared._

 _A/N: So, it's been a while since I've written anything but I more then fell in love with this show. The characters are so solid and my little shipping heart can't handle all of the potential. That being said, this begins prior to and largely ignores the season 2 finale. Takes place post episode 21: Karakurt. AU where Elizabeth is not on the run with Raymond Reddington._


	2. With Your Eyes Open

**I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.**

Chapter 2: With Your Eyes Open

A glass lay shattered at his feet. Photographs of what appeared to be family gatherings and celebrations laid scattered across the tiled floor and he made every attempt to avoid stepping on them. He'd even gone as far to pull a rookie field agent back as she nearly kicked the only fully intact picture frame. Perhaps they had come hunting monsters but they didn't have to behave like them.

Ressler bent to pick up the picture frame and once he'd pulled it free of the debris, ran his fingers across the glass. Two older men stood behind three women and four children. While it was not clear how exactly they fit together, there was no denying the appeared to be a family. The faces of the men were weathered but pleasant. The women were softer and focused on the children in their arms. What really caught his attention was the young girl at the end not looking at the camera. Whatever drew her attention away from the camera in that moment had left her smiling.

"We've got him, sir." The voice behind him pulled him out of his thoughts and he moved toward the back of the restaurant carrying the photo with him.

Sitting at the last table was a man who had seemed less imposing in his photos. Gavriil Volkov was more than just a man. He was a ghost that operated outside of the shadows. In appearance, he was a law abiding citizen who had immigrated from the Soviet Union in 1976. Garvriil Volkov paid taxes, raised a family, and supported his community. The restaurant he'd opened shortly after his arrival in the nation's capital was well maintained and loved by the people it served. For years, the CIA had been actively pursuing the alleged KGB agent but had never been able to cultivate any actual evidence. Until now. No longer a KGB agent, Volkov provided information to a network of unsavory individuals not unlike those Raymond Reddington had been known to associate with.

However interesting Volkov's extensive history may be, it was an event in more recent years that led Ressler to him. He had gotten the phone call early that morning regarding new information in the human trafficking case that had gone cold three years earlier. The case that had cost him his partner without any explanation.

"FBI? I must have finally bored your CIA brethren." His accent still thick despite having lived in the United States for more than three decades. Volkov seemed unfazed by the FBI presence or his being held. Calm even.

"I'm sure this isn't the first time you've been questioned, Mr. Volkov." Ressler set the picture frame on the table in front of him and sat down across from Volkov.

"Is that what we're doing here, agent..?"

"Ressler."

"Ah, Agent Ressler." Volkov smiled slowly. "I would offer you a drink but it seems your people were a little over eager when entering my business."

"Tell me about Winter Harbor." Ressler dodged the comment on the actions of the team that had initiated in the raid. He'd answer for the mess eventually. Volkov continued to watch him. His expression faltered ever so slightly. So quickly, in fact, that he almost missed it.

"Winter Harbor."

"We have reason to believe someone scheduled a shipment into Winter Harbor. Maine." Ressler continued to watch in hopes of seeing another tell but saw none. "And we believe that person was you."

"Is that so?" Volkov picked up the picture frame that Agent Ressler had carried in. He considered the photo for a moment before continuing. "Do you have family, Agent Ressler?"

"Let's skip the song and dance, we know you were involved. Phone calls were made from this location when you were alone. We have our 'CIA brethren' to thank for that information." Ressler knew getting any admission of involvement would be difficult at best. Volkov chuckled again.

"I'm sure you do."

"The point is that we have enough to detain you." Ressler waved two agents over from the front of the restaurant. He was sure Agent Cooper would be interested in being involved in his questioning.

"You are missing the point, Agent Ressler." Volkov stood. The agents that had been approaching pulled their weapons and Ressler stood quickly in response. He waved them off. Volkov was impressive but without a weapon, he wasn't an immediate threat. "If you've received intel implying my involvement in Winter Harbor, I will be coming with you willingly."

"Excuse me?"

"You feds are all the same." Volkov slid the picture frame across the table. "Never asking the right questions."

"And what questions should I be asking?"

"You should be asking me about Elizabeth Keen."

 _A/N: Thank you to those of you who gave feedback! From the moment I first started planning out this story, I've not been able to think about much else. It's been fun so far and I hope my muse continues to be kind.  
A few notes on the chapter... I realize that I haven't shown much of Elizabeth and even less of Red. I promise there will be more of the two coming. Just setting the stage. Gavriil Volkov is entirely my creation and not a character on the show. That being said, I'm always super concerned with how authentic what I write comes off… so hopefully this doesn't come off as unrealistic. _

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	3. Even You

**Chapter 3: Even You**

"Did you call him?" Harold Cooper leaned back in office chair, still mulling over the fact that they'd received a lead from a presumed criminal. Gavriil Volkov claimed to know where to look for Elizabeth Keen. Convenient that he share this information when he was being detained.

"No." Ressler pinched the bridge of his nose. No one had seen Raymond Reddington since Elizabeth had disappeared. After several terse phone calls, more than one of which ended in a threat of some form, Reddington had gone off the grid. They'd heard whispers that he was still active but his business associates vehemently denied having seen him. Not surprising as Ressler was sure Reddington would have made sure no one breathed a word about his movements.

"Telling him would put Mr. Volkov's health at risk." Ressler nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. A nervous habit he refused to acknowledge. "But you can't deny that Reddington would be effective in gleaning any information he may not want to share."

"Giving him over to Reddington would be effective." Ressler looked out the window of the office into the primary operating space of the Post Office. Aram had been rearranging the same stack of papers at his work space since they had walked Volkov in. "We'd also never see him again. Reddington isn't going to cooperate with us."

"Not without her." Harold inhaled deeply and pushed the case file forward on his desk. The disappearance of Elizabeth Keen had remained a top priority regardless of the many directives they'd received over the years contradicting that fact. All they had to go on was the fact that Agent Keen had disappeared over the course of two hours. Ressler hadn't been content to wait for her to return and had followed her to Winter Harbor. He hadn't been able to raise Keen on her cell phone and several dock workers had denied anyone asking them questions. Ressler knew that her being two hours ahead of him, Agent Keen would have spoken with at least some portion of these people. His phone calls became frantic and after driving around the small town, he'd turned up nothing. A team was called in as soon as he'd called Cooper. He wasn't sure at what point Reddington had been told or if he even had but it wasn't long before he'd shown up.

Raymond Reddington had been a quiet force of fury in the chaos that followed. After days of interviewing and reviewing the few security cameras in the area, not one single person in Winter Harbor had seen Agent Keen. Ressler wasn't present when Reddington had walked away but he'd never forget the look of horror on Aram's face when he'd returned to their make shift center of operations. Whatever had been said left Aram visibly shaken but he refused to speak on it. Two weeks passed and they were ordered home. Other assignments required their attention. The fate of one agent did not outweigh the needs of the country.

Weeks turned into months and months to years. They continued to monitor contacts for anything related to the case or mention of Agent Keen's name. For several moments neither of them moved and the weight of what Volkov could offer them hung in the air. Cooper stood and walked out of the office as if the devil himself had called to him. Ressler followed behind but was well aware that his superior would be interviewing Gavrill Volkov alone. Before they were able to enter the interrogation room, the elevator doors opened and movement in the main floor of the Post Office stopped. Ressler gripped the railing on the staircase, not entirely believing what he was seeing.

For the first time in more than three years, Raymond Reddington stepped into the heart of the Post Office.

 _A/N: It's been a long time since I've spent time on this because I'd lost a bit of the vision I'd had for it. Knowing ahead of time how it would in made laying the ground work for that a little daunting. So after months of writing, deleting an entire chapter, and starting again... here is chapter three. I hope to have another chapter up in the very near future. Thank you for reading!_

 _Review are appreciated._

 _UPDATE: Not sure what happened the first time I posted chapter 3. Hopefully the issue has been resolved._


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